Lu Chi Fa’s 10th Year at Taft College
By Hector Gutierez
Lu Chi Fa made two appearances October 19th in the Cougar Room at Taft College. The room was illuminated with Chinese decorations set up by the student body and Kamala Carlson who hosted the event. Many students of Taft and also a few classes from Roosevelt elementary were eager to hear in person what was portrayed in novel Double Luck.
Lu Chi Fa, the name meaning “new beginning,” explained how his life always seemed to have just that, a new beginning. Having lost his parents at age three, Lu Chi Fa was sold for rice to a chief who gave him the nickname “Double Luck.” But the chief’s cruel punishments provoked Lu Chi Fa to live with his uncle who he saw as a father-figure in his early childhood and enjoyed being around. On the other hand, his uncle’s wife was not as pleased by his presence. The cycle continued through different relatives.
From Shanghai to Taiwan, Lu Chi Fa had to adjust to a new beginning multiple times. At one point, begging in the streets was his only way to earn his next meal. Nobody would pay attention to him until they heard the different dialects he spoke which was proof of his struggle to find his way in life. Having to work in a shoe factory making women’s heels and as a delivery boy for construction materials, Lu Chi Fa made a trip to Honolulu and then to the mainland.
When he experienced the difference in quality of life from the two continents, he realized he didn’t want to leave. He turned his 38-day passport into a 4 year student visa by enrolling into a private college. He worked for as long as he could, sometimes 15 or 16 hour shifts as a busboy and bartender, until finally receiving his citizenship in 1983. He continued to work until he owned his own business and turned them into three. He now owns his own $360,000 home in Morro Bay where he also owns the Coffee Pot Restaurant (the first non-smoking coffee shop in Morro Bay). The success of his books allowed him to donate $25,000 to Morro Bay College and continue his education there.
Lu Chi Fa stated that he would always remain positive no matter what the circumstances in his life.
He also took the time to answer questions from the student body. When asked, “How did you have the courage to go through what you went through in your life?” Lu Chi Fa stated, “Difficulty and adversity makes a person stronger.”
Double Luck can be purchased for $18.95 at the Taft College Bookstore.